


Diplomacy

by jenna_thorn



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-12 05:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5654509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenna_thorn/pseuds/jenna_thorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Arl reared back, his fur-laden robes swirling in an ostentatious display of affront. “You expect to make a puppet of me?”<br/>“See the Mortalitasi standing behind me? I kill you, he takes over your body, that’s a puppet.”  Dorian, ever helpful, raised one hand in a coquettish wave, wiggling his fingers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diplomacy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [akerwis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akerwis/gifts).



The Arl reared back, his fur-laden robes swirling in an ostentatious display of affront. “You expect to make a puppet of me?” His guard didn’t twitch at the extravagant movement. Evelyn sighed. Two hours of negotiations with this guy and she was fed up, so she could only imagine how the people who dealt with him daily felt. Josie was going to kill her, but she was done with this. She’d have to pick up pre-emptive candy on the way back to Skyhold. _After_ clearing the fucking rift on Arl Asshole’s land, whether he liked it or not.

“See the Mortalitasi standing behind me? I kill you, he takes over your body, _that_ ’s a puppet.” Dorian, ever helpful, raised one hand in a coquettish wave, wiggling his fingers.

Arl Asshole didn’t even flinch. “Now see here, apostate,--” he started.

Evelyn turned on her heel at the word. “Okay, that’s it, we do this the Bull’s way.” Bull hefted the ridiculous maul over his shoulder and grinned, showing all his teeth.

A soft voice said from the doorway, “Your pardon, most holy.”

“Oh, what _now_?” Evelyn said, but Varric’s hand came down softly on her shoulder, so she stilled. 

“Arlessa?” Varric asked.

She nodded at Varric, but spoke to Evelyn. “My honored husband has forgotten a minor detail, diplomatic business, tedious really.” She spread her hands in apology. “But in this case, quite important. He married into my family.”

Arl Asshole rose, then looked sharply to the right into a hallway they couldn’t see. His protests wheezed into silence. The Arlessa spoke so quietly that Evelyn had to lean forward to hear her, despite the silence in the room. “I’m afraid I’m at least partially to blame for his forgetting. I am aware of my strengths, and you see,” she patted Bull on the arm. He flexed for her. She paused, glanced up, then patted him again in appreciation. “Strength is … not my strength.”

Evelyn blinked, the Arl paled, and the honor guard shifted in minute ways that showed the edges of the quicksand Evelyn was standing next to. To her left, Dorian was smiling and it was exactly the same grin he displayed when they caught Venatori murmurs on the wind.

She’d still have to pick up something for Josie, though.


End file.
